“Just for a minute. You all can go ahead and get us a table. Send me a note on where you choose to eat.” I wondered if this place would have an item I could use against Senica or the other vampires. Even if it was simply something to detect them.
“I’ll stay with her,” Bindy said.
The others rode ahead and I dismounted. Bindy followed me into Kurney’s and a bell rang when the door opened. The phoenix flew in right after us and landed on another perch by a desk near the back. It called loudly and watched us with keen awareness. A man stepped out from a darkened doorway, pushing his glasses higher on his nose. “Hello, how are you ladies today?” His white and gray hair was disheveled and balding on the top. Although he was old, likely very old, his body still looked strong.
“We are well, thank you,” I answered, stepping over to a ceiling-high shelf with small cubbies that held an item or two each. There were hundreds of things ranging from jewels, crowns, necklaces, a floating rose, to skulls, human and animal alike, bottles of potions, a human hand in a jar of liquid, a bottle of what looked like blood and much more.
The Phoenix flew again, this time it landed on another perch right next to me. It cocked its head to the side and cooed, watching me intently. “Hello,” I said slowly, reaching for it. “May I pet your phoenix?”
“Yes,” the old man said, folding his arms. “It’s quite interesting he’s approached you. He usually doesn’t like strangers.”
I stroked his silky smooth feathers and he cooed again and then he hopped from his perch onto my shoulder. I was a little startled at the suddenness of his jump and the old man laughed. “Seems you’ve made a new friend, Marlow.” The old man looked at me a little longer and I wasn’t sure what he was trying to see. “There must be something special about you.”
“She has a way with animals,” Bindy said.
The old man tapped his shoulder and the bird Marlow flew over to his shoulder. “It would seem so. Is there something you’re looking for today?”
Peeking over at Bindy I wondered how much I should say. I’d agreed with the princes when we decided not to tell any of the professors or headmaster about the blood drinkers. But Bindy was neither of those two things, I didn’t think she’d tell if I asked her to keep it quiet. “Yes, but I’m not entirely sure what the item will be. I’m looking for something that can be used to detect if someone perhaps looks human but is not entirely human, if that makes sense.”
Bindy stood with her arms crossed and if she was caught off guard by my question, she didn’t show it.
“It makes perfect sense,” he said and tapped a finger on his clean-shaven chin. “I’m not sure I have anything that specific. An orb that glows when someone wishes you harm, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I chuckled. “I’m afraid it would always be glowing.”
He smiled at that. “Perhaps if I knew exactly what type of being you were talking about. There are few I can think of.”
I gently chewed on the inside of my cheek wondering if I should say. “The Collweyans call them vampires.”
He blinked a few times before speaking. “I’m sorry I don’t have an item that would detect one of those.” He paused. “Are there rumors of one here?”
“You know of them?” I didn’t want to alarm him but I was curious that he knew what I was talking about.
“I’ve heard some of the Collweyans talk but none have mentioned one here.”
I shouldn’t have said anything, this was sure to cause panic in the city. I had to do something to recover. “Oh, no rumors of one here of course. It’s not cold enough and they can’t go in the sun. It’s for a class project. We are doing reports on a creature from the North and I chose the blood drinkers. I thought I could impress my professor if I found something like that.”
I was about to say my thanks and walk out, when Bindy said, “I need something that detects a lie.”
∞∞∞
On the way out of Kurney’s Enchanted Goods Bindy pushed the ring she’d gotten into my palm. “I know there is no class project but if you’re trying to figure out a vampire from a human, you can ask and if they lie, you’ll know. This is what you suspect that boy who threatened you from the party is?”
I nodded, inspecting the fingernail-sized ruby encased with silver vines and leaves swirling and interlocking beautifully.
“You think this is what killed Finnick?” Bindy asked.
“Yes.”
“I suspected so myself.” Bindy untied her horse from the post. “The spell solaris adonus should work against them.”
“Sunlight magic.” I licked my dry lips. “The only problem with that is I think some of them can walk in the daylight.”
A nearby torch lit and a note floated over to me. We’re at The Plank Walk
“I’m sure cutting their heads off will work just fine,” Bindy said, mounting her horse.
“That’s what Zyacus said.”
Chapter 21
As one might expect, The Plank Walk was a pub serving mostly seafood. The very distinct aroma this type of food carries, wafted out the door before we even stepped inside. Every table in the place was filled with patrons, while waitresses rushed around with drinks and trays of food. The walls were covered with seashells, and paintings of ships and merfolk. An old anchor with barnacles hung from the center of a massive beam, like a chandelier. A large fish tank full of colorful tropical fish, sea plants, and coral took up half the back wall. It was such a fun little place and I could see why they chose to eat here.
Legacy stood up in the middle of the room and waved at us. We made our way over and within seconds a woman with pink scales all over her forearms and mauve long hair, approached our table. With some magic, this mermaid on land had legs, and she smiled warmly. “Academy students, what a pleasure. My name is Namara and I’ll be helping you ladies today. We’re serving crab legs with bread or salmon and bread. And if you need a moment to discuss it, I can get drinks for you.”
“We’ll need a minute but yes, drinks.” Madison turned to the bottles of wine and liquor on the wall.
“What are you getting, Visteal?” Lora asked.
“I’ll have cherry kinikari, if you have it.” That was a sweet bubbly drink with a touch of mongleweed for energy.
The waitress gave me a long look but nodded. “Yes,” she said slowly and I wondered what she was calculating in her head. “I can get that for you.”
“Oh, me too,” Freya said, and eventually all the young girls ordered it while Madison got red wine and Bindy, an ale. For a meal, we ended up getting a huge plate of crab legs and a loaf of bread.
I was mid-bite when a tap on my shoulder drew my attention. Turning around, there stood three children about seven or eight, all holding wooden swords.
“Are you Princess Visteal?” the boy asked.
I put my hand over my mouth to cover my chewing and nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“Will you sign our swords?” One of the girls asked with a toothy grin. Her twin ginger braids and mass of freckles were adorable.